Let me start by saying in Ecuador, Halloween is technically banned. The president does not want Ecuadorians to celebrate any foreign holiday, so instead of celebrating Halloween, Ecuadorians are supposed to celebrate El Dia de La Bandera (The day of the shield). However, this law does not stop anyone from celebrating Halloween.
So last night for Halloween, along with 40 other people, I went on a chiva, basically a wooden party bus. We rode around the city for 2 hours - dancing, singing, and even stopping in a plaza to elect a rey and reina (king and queen) of the chiva.
Hannah, Lauren, Colleen (the three fulbright girls) and I dressed as an Ecuadorian meal. Hannah was arroz (rice), Lauren was una sopa de espinaca (spinach soup), Colleen was espumilla (a type of ice cream treat sold on the streets everywhere), and I was guagua de pan (a little bit like a gingerbread man but made from bread).
We all had a great night! While there were no children trick or treating and I did miss the American candy, it was fun to celebrate Halloween in a new way!
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| The chiva which drove us around town all night |
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| Guaguas de pan - It's a custom to eat these on El Dia de Los Difuntos (Day of the Dead - Nov 2) |
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| The Ecuadorian Meal - A guagua de pan, arroz, espumilla, and sopa de espinaca |
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| Just your average guagua de pan! |
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